Deicide
by Evilkitten3
Summary: Three months ago, Orihara Izaya disappeared, and Ikebukuro erupted with chaos. With gang wars everywhere, Heiwajima Shizuo is determined to hunt down his enemy, make him stop the violence, and then kick his ass. However, things take a turn for the odd, and suddenly Shizuo, Shinra, Celty, Kadota, and Izaya's bitchy secretary have to team up to save Ikebukuro (and maybe Izaya too).
1. Remnants

**AN: So, as promised, the winner of my Halloween contest, **Naturesshadows**, gets a one-shot. FYI: I do take requests, but contest winners are the submissions I'll **_**definitely**_** do. Eventually. Anyhow, the prompt I received was this (edited very slightly):**

Fandom: Durarara!

Characters: Izaya, Shizuo, Shinra, Celty, Kadota, and Namie.

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Pairings can either be: Shizuo/Izaya or Izaya/Namie + Shinra/Celty

General Idea:

Izaya has gone missing, after 3 months, Ikebukuro is in chaos… Shinra, Shizuo, Celty and Kadota (who bumped into them on the way) decided to check out the informant's penthouse with the intention on fixing the fights in Ikebukuro. It's then that they find Namie looking after the horrible state the informant's in. Pale, sick, and fighting against something no one can see. What will they do to fix the only one who can save their city?

**As this particular prompt is a bit… extravagant, this may evolve into something more than a one-shot. For future reference, if you win one of my contests, I will write a one-shot for you. However, as I already have two ongoing stories, four stories that need to be rewritten, and a story with a status I am currently unsure about (plus a billion other ideas floating around in my skull), I would like to make clear that submissions for contest winners should be set up as one-shots. If you believe that your story will be longer, let me know. I will probably still write it, but it will take longer. That said, enjoy.**

**TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of psychological torture**

Heiwajima Shizuo had little to no patience, especially when it came to Orihara Izaya, his lifelong nemesis (ok, only since high school). If there was one thing he could count on, it was that that one particular flea in his life was not going to fuck off unless it got squashed. Problems like this, Shizuo had decided, were best taken before they became bigger problems. Izaya, however, seemed determined to be the biggest problem possible. Despite numerous warnings, he continued to show up as often as possible, either to cause trouble or to piss Shizuo off with the mere act of breathing. There were times when Izaya stopped showing up, occasionally for a few weeks at a time, but he was always back and stirring up chaos soon enough. Of course, even when he was gone, he sent gangs after Shizuo.

However, Izaya's longest absence had been seven weeks, and it had been because he'd had a broken arm (à la pissed off ex-bartender). This time, however, Shizuo had not seen hide or hair of Izaya for nearly three months. There hadn't even been any gangs sent after him. A few weeks of peace was one thing, but three whole months was just suspicious. Weirder still, gang activity was increasing – but few of the gangs had attacked or even gone near him, and when he'd questioned one of the foolish gangs that _had_, the guy had never even heard of Izaya. Even the other members of the Dollars were confused.

MONTA: Has anyone else seen Orihara Izaya?

Setton: No, I haven't. It's odd – he usually would've shown up by now.

Tanaka Tarō: He's been offline a lot lately as well…

Saika: Do you guys think Heiwajima-san killed him?

Bakyura: It's possible. One can only hope.

Kyo: We haven't seen him either. It's kind of odd, because he usually calls us at least once a week, but when we tried calling him, we only got his secretary, and all she said was that he couldn't come to the phone at the moment.

Mai: Gone?

Saki: Let's not get crazy. I'm sure he's fine.

Bakyura: Probably. Guy's like a cockroach or some thing (–.–||)

MONTA: Geez. What a pain. Has anybody gone to find out?

Kyo: No way. If he's dead, Shizuo-san will introduce us to Yūhei-san.

Mai: Brother.

Saki: I'd check, but I'm… busy… ^.^"

Bakyura: I'm busy too – with my girlfriend. O —8

Tanaka Tarō: Ew.

Since there was no way Izaya could have been killed by anyone other than Shizuo, the debt collector assumed that he was, as usual, up to no good. And, considering that Celty, Shinra, and Kadota all seemed to have agreed, he was probably right.

"Checking on Izaya?" Shinra asked as soon as he saw them.

"Murdering Izaya," Shizuo corrected. Kadota rolled his eyes.

"Karisawa said that if I didn't, she'd make me listen to a fanfic she wrote." He looked ill.

[[What was it about?]] Celty asked. Kadota shuddered.

"Izaya, Shizuo, Izaya's secretary, chopstick wars, and vaguely implied BDSM threesomes. It sounded awful. Can't see why anybody reads that crap."

"Ew." Said Shinra, hoping that Shizuo hadn't heard. Luckily, the bodyguard had developed the ability to tune out anything related to Erika and her depraved fantasies. Kadota was very, very jealous. He decided to change the topic in hopes of getting rid of any mental images. "So… how's everything with you guys?"

"Fine."

"Fine."

[[Fine.]]

"Hm. Me too."

There was an awkward silence.

"So, Shinra officially sucks at topic-changing."

"Shut it."

[[We're here,]]

"Oh thank god," Kyōhei massaged the bridge of his nose.

-This-Is-A-Line-Break-

When they got inside, they were unsurprised to see that they needed a card to access the elevator. Shinra had one, but it didn't matter, as their entrance had not gone unnoticed. The elevator doors slid open.

"So he _is_ up there," Shizuo growled. "I'll crush his freaking skull!"

[[It could just be his secretary,]] Celty cautioned. [[Either way, this is Izaya we're talking about. Who knows what he's got planned.]]

"I'll go first then," said Shinra cheerfully. "He won't hurt me." Celty and Shizuo looked unconvinced, but Kadota seemed to get it. They filed into the elevator, which began to move before any of them had pressed any buttons. When the elevator doors opened, Shinra, true to his word, stepped out first. When no knife came flying at him, the others figured it was probably safe.

Izaya's secretary, Yagiri Namie, was sitting on the couch. She glanced over at them, scowling when her eyes passed over Celty.

"Kishitani-sensei." She greeted. "I don't think it was necessary to bring anyone other than yourself. Especially not _those_ two," she jerked her head towards Shizuo and Celty. Shizuo tensed, but Shinra didn't look all that bothered.

"Yes, well, things happened." He said dismissively. "How is he?"

"Wait– you knew he was here?" Kadota asked, incredulous. "Why didn't you just tell us? Then I could've just gone home!" Shinra grinned.

"You didn't ask~" he chirped. His silly look disappeared, and was replaced with a more serious face. "Has he woken up recently?" Namie shrugged.

"Kind of," she replied. "He wasn't coherent, though." Shinra nodded, looking grim. "I did manage to get him to eat," Namie continued. "But nothing solid."

"I figured as much," Shinra said. "Like I said, a liquid diet is best for now."

"Ok, what's going on?" Shizuo demanded. "Where's that damn flea? I'm going to kick his ass! Is he here or not?" Namie wordlessly moved over. Izaya was lying on the couch, eyes closed. He was paler than usual, and his breathing was clearly off.

"What the– what happened?" Kadota asked. "Is he okay?" Shinra shrugged.

"We have no idea," the doctor said cheerfully. "He just turned up like this a month ago. My darling Celty found him in an alley~"

"You knew too?" Shizuo asked. It was odd for the headless woman to keep things from him.

[[Shinra asked me not to tell,]] Celty apologized. [[I would've ignored him, but it seemed bad, so I agreed.]]

Suddenly, Izaya's body jerked, and Namie, frowning, grabbed the bucket near her feet as Izaya threw up what little Namie had managed to get him to eat. His eyes were almost open, and he seemed to look at them for a couple seconds before his body decided that it wasn't done with its impromptu nap, and the informant returned to dreamland, which, for Izaya, was probably filled with little giggling ponies, tap-dancing cats in tutus, and lots and lots of knives.

"I'm assuming that's bad," Kadota, the only one in the room who _hadn't_ spent gratuitous amounts of time in a hospital, said. Namie gave him a very flat look.

"What are you talking about?" She asked. "Vomiting up the only food he's been able to keep down for longer than an hour over the entire week is _exactly_ what we want!" Celty sighed (well, she looked like she was sighing).

[[Yes, Kadota-san, that's bad,]] she said. [[He's extremely sick, and we have no clue what's wrong.]] Shinra placed his hand on Izaya's forehead, and hissed.

"His fever's risen," he murmured, mostly to himself. He turned to Namie with a very serious look on his usually silly face. "There's not much more I can do for him," the doctor warned. "You'll have to find a way to take him to a hospital soon."

"Fuck that!" Shizuo snarled. "He's not going anywhere until he tells those pet gangs of his to get the hell out of my city!" Namie didn't even bother to look his way.

"How do you plan to get him to do that when he's dying?" she asked coolly.

"Dying?" Kadota broke in. "But– Izaya's the only one who can get those gangs under control!" Namie shrugged.

"Unfortunately for you lot, he won't be getting anything done when he's unconscious," the dark-haired woman said. "You'd have better luck teaching a crab to fly."

"Dammit!" Shizuo drew back his fist, but Namie spoke before he could punch something.

"While I couldn't care less if you break this idiot's things, you're still going to have to pay for whatever you put a hole in, and if what Izaya says about your monetary status is true, that's not a situation you want to be in." she smirked. "That desk is probably worth more than your whole apartment."

"This isn't helping me not be pissed," Shizuo told her, lowering his arm. "I still want to break something." He inhaled, and tried to distract himself from the urge to crush the skulls of everybody in the room (which, unbeknownst to anyone but Namie, Izaya himself, and possibly Shinra, included Celty's). "So what exactly happened to him?"

"We don't know," Shinra repeated. "We do know that he disappeared and no one knew where he was. He only turned up a month ago, like I said." Namie nodded.

"There's no sign of physical injuries, but he was a little malnourished when he showed up. Other than a fever, he doesn't seem to have anything wrong with him at all," the woman explained. "We're guessing that, whatever the problem, it's mostly – if not entirely – psychological."

"Always knew that flea had a screw loose," Shizuo grumbled. "I'm getting out of here. Call me when he's healthy so I can kill him." Shizuo turned and began to walk off.

"_You're_ the one with a screw loose," Namie sneered, glowering at Shizuo's back. "Sane people don't try to kill people." And this is it, where Izaya should pop up, saying something like 'sane people don't lust after their little brothers', or 'sane people don't fall in love with decapitated heads'. But he doesn't. He's still lying on the couch, unconscious, and, as much as Namie dislikes her employer, she hates this awkward silence even more. Shizuo turns around.

"If you're so worried about him, why's he still here?" the blond asked. "He should be at Shinra's, or an actual hospital, right?"

"I have to agree with Shizuo," Kadota said. "It doesn't make sense that you'd keep him in here. His pride can't be more important than his life, right?"

"Both his pride and his life are directly involved in my paycheck," Namie said coolly. "However, he can't leave this room."

[[I only found him because he managed to text me and ask for help,]] Celty explained. [[He was unconscious by the time I got there, so I assumed he'd had a particularly nasty run-in with Shizuo. I just took him back here. Yagiri-san called me the next day, saying he hadn't woken up yet, so Shinra and I came over to check on him. When we tried to carry him back to our place, we were unable to do so.]]

"What's that mean?" Kadota asked, ignoring Shinra squealing about his house being 'their place'. "How difficult can it be to get an unconscious guy through a door?" Namie shrugged.

"Harder than it should have been," she said. "We can leave just fine, but we were literally unable to get him through the door. It's like there's an anti-Orihara wall in place. Izaya can't get out, and the twins can't get in."

"Mairu and Kururi? They were here?" Shizuo asked. "Did they say why?"

"Something about 'this being a good time to meet Yūhei-san'," she responded.

"Huh? Why would they think Hanejima Yūhei would be here?" Shinra asked.

"My bad," Shizuo spoke up, not looking all that sorry. "I said I'd introduce them to Kasuka if they killed their brother." Shinra sighed.

"Of course you did." The doctor muttered. He shook his head and turned to Namie. "Yagiri-san, can you think of anyone who might know something about Orihara-kun's current condition?" She hesitated.

"I've found a couple of contacts since last week," she said. "I've also managed to get in touch with Mikajima Saki and Kida Masaomi. Kida should be able to reign in his gang, and Saki learned a lot from Izaya, so she might be able to learn something. I know she's got a lot of his contacts – he's quite proud of her." Kadota frowned.

"I know a couple people," he offered. "Let's see – Izaya hung out with us, mostly, but there was that one girl… what was her name?"

"Sharaku Mikage," Shinra and Shizuo said simultaneously. Shinra grinned.

"She hates my guts," he added. "She's also Mairu-chan's martial arts instructor." Kadota nodded.

"Yeah, her," he said. "She had a crush on him, didn't she?" Shizuo snorted.

"Her and every other girl in the school," the blond grumbled. "She was the only one that actually knew him."

"They go way back," Shinra said. "Izaya's known Mikage since before I ever met him. She knew exactly what he was like, but it never seemed to bother her. She liked him anyway."

"Was she insane?" Namie asked innocently.

"Ne… That isn't very nice, Namie-san," her eyes widened, and she glanced down at the man on the couch. His eyes were open, and, while he looked exhausted, he was alive and – barely – conscious.

"Oh! You're awake!" chirped Shinra. "That's good, I suppose."

"You're horrible," Izaya mumbled. His eyes slid shut for moment before opening again. "How long have I been gone?"

"Six years," Shinra lied. Izaya rolled his eyes.

"I'm injured, not retarded." He said. "Seriously, how long?"

"Three months," Namie told him. She hesitated before asking the question she was sure she'd regret. "How long was it for you?" Izaya shuddered, his eyes slipping again as his consciousness faded.

"Longer."

**AN: Wow, I actually got around to writing this. I've been working on this for over a month now, and I never thought I'd actually finish. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be. For those of you who don't know, Sharaku Mikage went to Raijin Academy with Izaya, Shizuo, Kadota, and Shinra. She was apparently one of Izaya's groupies, and it's implied she had feelings for him (whether she still does is unknown). Her older brother claims Izaya is the reason Mikage dropped out of high school, and, while she has neither confirmed nor denied this, she seems to hold no grudge against him. Other characters from the novels (such as Aoba, Nakura, Akabayashi, Tsukumoya, etc.) will also be appearing, and certain plot points and canon pairings will also show up, like Kasuka x Ruri. If that's not cool with you, then this probably isn't your story. I'm more interested in plot than romance or smut.**

**On another note, before anyone even opens their mouths, the only pairing that was requested by **Naturesshadows** was Shinra x Celty. There will also be either Shizuo x Izaya or Izaya x Namie. Other relationships are mine to decide. Before anyone asks, no, Kida will not randomly decide he's gay and dump Saki. He loves her, not Mikado. Mikado is not going to abandon his feelings for Anri, and Anri is not going to randomly decide she's a lesbian. Finally, regardless of whom Izaya ends up with, everyone is staying in character. Izaya and Shizuo are not going to get lovey-dovey; they'll have a love-hate relationship. Izaya and Namie are not going to get lovey-dovey; they'll be throwing insults at each other from across the office. Also, Izaya has admitted to being a masochist. He is a pathological liar, so this might be false, but it would explain a lot. I will not be changing this regardless of anything.**


	2. Disarmed

**AN: Sniff… Wow… so many people like this… That really makes me happy, guys. I'm so glad you appreciate this story. I was going to work on something else today, but I can't help it! The fic must go on! Also, the first half of this chapter is mostly just online chatting. There's a reason for it, but it shouldn't happen too often. Oh, and since my headcanon is that Izaya is (or, here, **_**was**_**) in love with Shinra, that'll be brought up. After all, the middle school thing…**

**Warning**: Erika

Chapter Two

Maomin: EEEEEEE! I saw it! Shizu-chan was coming out of IzaIza's apartment! He's trying to find his missing love!

Pure Water 100%: I don't think that's it.

Gaki: It's quite possible. Oi-chan doesn't know Orihara-san all that well, but it's very likely that he swings that way.

Saika: Sorry, but… I don't think so.

Setton: Trust me, they hate each other.

Tanaka Tarō: I don't think two people who constantly try to kill each other are going to be in love.

Maomin: Clearly you don't understand true love.

Bakyura: Or maybe _you're_ just delusional.

Saki: Is this all we can think of to talk about?

Setton: Well, Kanra usually provided most of the gossip, but she left the chat a while ago, so…

Bakyura: Oh no that is terrible.

Bakyura: Could you sense the sarcasm there?

Bakyura: 'Cause I meant it.

Saki: Bakyura…

Saika: Um, sorry, has anyone seen Chrome?

-Chrome has entered the chat-

Chrome: You called?

Pure Water 100%: Wow. Good timing, Chrome.

MONTA: Where've you been?

Chrome: Sorry, that's classified.

Chrome: I just checked the chat log.

Chrome: Heiwajima and Orihara? Seriously?

Maomin: DUH! It's true love!

-The Indoor Doctor has entered the chat-

The Indoor Doctor: No, it really isn't.

The Indoor Doctor: True love is what I have with my beloved–

Setton: Can it, you weirdo.

Chrome: About Kanra, she left before I joined, right?

MONTA: Just a bit before, yeah.

Tanaka Tarō [Private]: Sorry to bother you, Celty-san, but do you know where Izaya-san is?

Setton [Private]: …Yeah.

Tanaka Tarō [Private]: Is he okay? He's not very nice, but he's still a part of the Dollars, so… I'd like to know please.

Setton [Private]: He's not doing too well, but I think he's getting better.

Pure Water 100%: Come to think of it, Kanra was the administrator of this chat, right? Who's in charge now?

Chrome: I am. Kanra and I go back a bit, so she gave the reigns to me. It's odd, all things considered. That's why I asked earlier: I wanted to know if she really left.

Saki: She does have a tendency to troll.

-Kanra has entered the chat-

Chrome: Kanra?

Setton: Oh, Kanra, welcome back.

Tanaka Tarō: How've you been?

Kanra: …

MONTA: Kanra? Is everything all right?

Tanaka Tarō [Private]: Does this mean Izaya-san's better?

Bakyura [Private]: Not as far as I know. I'm fairly certain this isn't him.

Kanra: Watching.

MONTA: Huh?

Kanra: I know who you are.

Kanra: I know. Watching.

Kanra: I'm watching you. Watching. I know who you are.

Saika: Do you think Kanra-san caught a virus?

Saki: Maybe it's a troll?

Kanra: I'm watching. Always watching I'm watching you I know who you are I'm watching you watching always watching I know who you are I'm watching you

Maomin: This is creepy… It's like a horror manga!

Kanra: You can't save him

Setton: What's that mean?

Kanra: You can't save him he's mine all mine belongs to me all mine you can't save him you can't I won't let you have him

Tanaka Tarō: Is she talking about Izaya-san?

Chrome: Guys, something's wrong–––––

-Chrome has been disconnected-

Kanra: Haha

Kanra: Hahahahaha

Kanra: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Kanra: He's mine all mine

Setton: If you're the reason Izaya is hurt, you better fix whatever you did.

Kanra: Dullahan

Setton: Pardon?

Kanra: Dullahan head I have it I have it your head it's mine he's mine too all mine belong to me all mine

Tanaka Tarō: What's she trying to say?

Kanra: …Hungry.

MONTA: Okay, this is just–––––

-MONTA has been disconnected-

Maomin: MONTA? MONTA? OMG what just happened?

-Maomin has been disconnected-

Kanra: Mine he's mine head is mine your head his life all mine all mine you can't have him he's mine all mine belongs to me

Saika: Sorry, but this is getting a little too scary for me.

-Saika has left the chat-

Bakyura: Yeah, I don't feel like hanging around right now. Later.

-Bakyura has left the chat-

-Saki has left the chat-

-The Indoor Doctor has left the chat-

Pure Water 100%: I don't quite understand what's going on.

Kanra: No hope for you

Kanra: No hope he's mine kill belongs to me help me won't let you take him mine all mine you can't have him belongs to me.

-Pure Water 100% has been disconnected-

-Setton has been disconnected-

-Tanaka Tarō has been disconnected-

-There is no one in the chatroom at this time-

…

Kanra: Haha

Kanra: Hahahahahahahaha

Kanra: Hahahahahahahahahahahaha

Kanra: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

-Kanra has left the chat-

-There is no one in the chatroom at this time-

-This-Is-A-Line-Break-

Namie scowled at the computer. She had been kicked out of the chatroom before she could even finish her sentence. Granted, she was using Izaya's account, but that didn't really matter. Izaya really hated being weak, she thought, especially if he was willing to tell her his password in order to convince people that he, or, rather, 'Chrome', was okay. She glanced at her employer, who was mostly conscious on the couch. He gave her a weak grin and a thumbs up. She rolled her eyes.

"Someone online was using 'Kanra'." She said. "They were spamming or something, like Saika did before Sonohara Anri regained control." He nodded.

"Got it." he brought his hand up to his mouth as he coughed. Shinra, Kadota, Celty, and Shizuo had left about an hour ago, which was good, because Namie really couldn't stand to be in the presence of the _thing_ that called itself the Black Rider, and she didn't think Izaya was too keen on having Shizuo in his office. The door opened, and the "demon twins", as Namie liked to think of them, appeared in the doorway.

"Shinra told us you were awake."

"…Okay (how are you doing?)…"

"I'm all right," Izaya told his sisters. "Still can't come in?" Mairu pressed her hand against whatever invisible wall separated her and her twin from their brother.

"Still can't come in," she confirmed.

"Unacceptable (we need to do something about this)…" Kururi said. Izaya gave them a weak grin.

"How are Mom and Dad?"

"They've been better," Mairu responded. "They came by while you were out, but they couldn't get in either. Neither could Grandma and Grandpa." Izaya blinked.

"They came by too?" he asked, surprised. Kururi nodded. "Huh. Well then. It's a shame I missed them."

"Liar (you hate talking to your family)…" Izaya chuckled.

"That's true," he admitted. "I'm surprised you didn't bring them. Granny's been trying to get me to come to a family gathering for years. Violently, she's been trying." Namie raised an eyebrow.

"Should I even bother asking, Yoda?" she spoke drily, but relief that communication had become easier was evident in her voice.

"Don't bother," Mairu told her. "Everyone in out family is crazy."

"Cousin (our mom's younger twin brother's wife's daughter is all right, but we don't know her too well)…" It was amazing, Namie thought, that Kururi could convey so much with so little. Then again, they only had the one cousin.

"So… how do you feel?" Mairu asked. Izaya grinned, but nobody fell for it.

"Been better," he responded. "But I'll be fine soon." Namie decided not to point out how untrue this was. Izaya had been bouncing between 'mildly okay' to 'barely conscious' to 'about to die' ever since his awakening. They still had no idea what was wrong, and any attempts to question Izaya on what had happened had resulted in a panic attack, and, even after he calmed down, the informant would remain in a borderline catatonic state for the rest of the day. He never seemed to remember these panic attacks, but he also didn't seem to be aware that he had ever been gone. He was, Namie thought, treating the situation as if it were a twenty-four hour cold or a mildly irritating mosquito. According to Shinra, it was Izaya's way of getting better: completely refusing to acknowledge what had happened in order to maintain an image of normality. He was, the doctor had explained, unable to cope with whatever had happened, and had thus decided to act has if it had never happened at all. From the way he spoke, Namie suspected that this was not the first time Shinra had witnessed Izaya lying to himself.

On good days, like this one, Izaya seemed awake and cheerful, if physically weakened. On bad days, he struggled to remain conscious, and was mostly unable to digest anything. On _really_ bad days, he was either completely unconscious, or unable to recognize his surroundings. Those were the days he panicked when anyone, even Shinra, got near him. It was as if he couldn't see their faces.

Namie bit her lip as she watched her employer, who had developed a plethora of tics he had not once had. Sometimes he would curl his right hand into a fist and squeeze until it bled. Sometimes he would chew on his lip, a habit he had previously avoided – he had believed it showed uncertainty, and Orihara Izaya was _never_ uncertain. Worst, though, were the times his right hand would travel up to his left shoulder, and he would simply sit there, clutching his shoulder, and feeling grateful that Shinra had hidden the left side of his body from the rest of the world (save Namie). Occasionally, he would attempt to reach for something with his left arm, only to stop and stare, confused, at what he had attempted to reach for. She would, inevitably, swallow the lump in her throat and pass him whatever it was he was trying to reach, and he would, equally inevitably, fail to notice that he had not picked it up himself. Shinra had decided that, until they were sure that Izaya was self aware, no one else needed to know of the informant's condition. Sometimes, it seemed that Izaya knew what was wrong with him, but others he seemed completely clueless. When Namie was helping him readjust to walking, he had asked her to stand to his left, as she was right-handed, and he felt that that would be easier on both of them. A moment later, however, he had followed her uncomfortable gaze to the left side of his body, and given a quiet "oh". He had made no more protests that day, but the next day repeated the previous.

Izaya bid farewell to the twins, and turned towards his secretary. He followed her gaze to his left shoulder and frowned.

"Don't." He said simply. She glanced up, gave him a tight-lipped smile, and nodded. "Please," he added. "Just… ignore it." She sighed.

"How are you?" That was what she said, but it wasn't what she was asking, and Izaya knew it.

"I'm here," he replied. "I'm here today." He looked down at his shoulder. "I… is it there?" She blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"Is it there?" he repeated. "My arm. I can feel it, and I think I can see it, but I'm not sure it's still there. It's not working. I tried to pick something up, but I couldn't. I was reaching for the cup, and I felt my hand close around it, but I'm pretty sure you ended up giving it to me." She was silent, unsure of what to say. "They took it."

"Yeah." Whoever 'they' were. "Yeah, it's gone." He stared at the space where his left arm had been, and she saw his shoulder – or, rather, what was left of his shoulder – make a rolling motion. Her employer shut his eyes.

"Namie-san?"

"Yes?"

"Is there a knife in the wall?" She knew the answer, but she looked anyway.

"No."

"Oh." He reopened his eyes at stared at the unblemished wall. "Are you sure?"

"There's no knife in the wall, Izaya." She watched as he lay back on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

"I didn't think there would be."

**AN: Well, if that was depressing then I don't know what is. So Izaya has apparently lost an arm… not sure where that came from, but what the hey. As for the identity of "them", well, you'll just have to wait. Last chapter was written before I learned that Namie and Shizuo once bonded over their hatred of Izaya, so I'll include that. Many fans assume Izaya has some connection to Saika, as they have so many similarities: they both love humans, they both want to cut Shizuo, they both see to be able to cut through anything (seriously, if Anri's katana can cut through a goddamn warehouse door, Izaya's tiny little flick blade should not have been able to block it), etc. I don't know if that will be brought up in this story, but what will be brought up is that Izaya probably isn't entirely human (the guy can leap impossible distances, take convenience store trashcans and vending machines to the head, and survived getting punched in the face by **_**Simon**_**, who is about as strong as Shizuo). Either way, if you've already guessed what the guys who kidnapped Izaya want, well good for you. I have a headcanon that Izaya's parents are the only normal people in the family, so expect his grandparents to be a little bit… nuts. Also, if anyone is wondering about Izaya's cousin, they are a canon character, but not canonically his cousin – I just think they look way too similar for it to be a coincidence. Sorry that this Author's Note is so long, but I had a lot of things to say. Anyhow, next chapter we find out what "they" were after. Well, I'm not actually that nice, so it's only implied. But! We do get to meet Mikage and a certain someone that you probably didn't expect, so you have that to look forward to.**

**On another note, I'm leaving for Mexico this Monday, so I may not be able to update for another week after that, but I will be working on chapter three while I'm gone. Also, I drew a picture of Namie based on a scene in volume three of the manga, which I may upload to DeviantART (god knows my account needs **_**something**_** that isn't crap). ¡****Hasta luego!**


	3. Fool for Love

**AN: So the day before I left for Mexico, my computer decided it didn't feel like working anymore. So, instead of writing this chapter like I said I would, I basically sulked and played Pokémon when I wasn't swimming with dolphins and sea lions. At least, until I remembered that I had my notebook. I planned out the story a bit, but, knowing me, it probably won't follow the path I set up for it. I am not writing this story. This story is writing itself.**

**On another note, I've gotten a couple reviews asking about pairings (read: "I want Shizaya" and "I want Izanami"). Thus, I'd like to clarify something: I'm as lost as you are. These guys don't care about what we want – they're writing themselves. All I can say is that it'll be one or the other, but neither is going to happen until Izaya overcomes his other relationship problems. Why? It's because my long-term goal is to become the Joss Whedon of . I want you guys to love me until you hate me, and hate me until you love me. I want to see people hating what's happening but being unable to turn away. To be entirely honest: I want to watch you cry when they cry, suffer when they suffer, laugh when they laugh, and scream when they scream. But mostly, I just want you to enjoy this story.**

Kishitani Shinra was not an idiot. Oh, he acted like one, that was undeniable, but anyone who knew him – really _knew_ him – knew that he was crafty enough to outmaneuver Izaya if he needed to. However, Shinra's job description did not involve 'cleverness'. It certainly involved knowledge of the human body and a select amount of not noticing the copious bodies that piled up on the side, but nobody wanted their unlicensed underground doctor to notice things, lest they themselves be 'noticed'. This did not mean that Shinra's entire personality was an act – it wasn't, not at all. He really was a goofy, hyperactive, excitable idiot who was extremely in love with his Dullahan roommate. He was also, however, a sadistic, manipulative, borderline-sociopathic asshole who would do literally anything to keep the woman he loved with him – even lie to her face and manipulate his best friend.

He knew exactly what those people had been after, but despite "Kanra's" claim to the contrary, Celty's head was exactly where it should be – on Izaya's bookshelf. Shinra knew for a fact that, no matter what was done to Izaya, the informant would never ever betray the doctor. Shinra probably should feel bad about using Izaya's feelings against him, but Celty came first. And, if Shinra himself were used as a bargaining chip, Izaya would give up Celty's head in no time. And so, after making a couple of phone calls, the doctor did the one thing he thought would ensure his beloved's safety:

He disappeared.

-This-Is-A-Line-Break-

The man smiled. Things could not be going more perfectly. He watched as the secretary woman received a phone call from the doctor. The initial plan had been to kidnap Kishitani himself, but this would work just as well. Now, if only that infernal woman would leave… Perhaps a call from her beloved brother would do the trick.

-This-Is-A-Line-Break-

It happened out of the blue. Namie had stepped outside the office to take a call from Seiji, and Izaya had been left on his own to ponder his situation. And then, he had smelled it. It was That Stench – that creeping, nasty, awful smell that haunted his nightmares, that disgusting, rancid, rotting stench of decay. It was the monster that Izaya could only think of as the Rotting Man.

There was no other name to suit him. He was neither ugly nor beautiful, neither masculine nor feminine. He was neither fat nor skinny nor anywhere in between. His eyes were neither brown nor blue nor green nor gray nor any other color, but rather they simply were. His skin was neither pale nor tanned, neither black nor white nor yellow nor brown nor pink. He was a being that simply was.

And what he was, was evil. There was no other way to describe his existence other than simply the epitome of cruelty. He had neither a long-term goal nor a short-term goal. He had no end game whatsoever. He merely existed to cause pain, suffering, misery, and fear.

It was this man – if he could even be called a man – who had torn Izaya from his godlike pedestal, it was this man who had ripped him to pieces, put him back together, and broken what was left, and it was this man that had so utterly destroyed him.

The smell that followed the Rotting Man was the unmistakable stink of decay, but it did not come from anything that was decaying. The Rotting Man himself was not rotting, nor did he truly stink of rot. However, the aura of sheer evil he exuded could not be processed by the human brain in any way other than through the repulsive stench of death. Izaya knew, even before the figure appeared in front of him, who it would be.

He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. The Rotting Man grinned at him, if a being with no truly defined facial features could indeed grin. The Rotting Man did not bother himself with speech, but he did not have to. Izaya knew what he wanted.

"I won't tell you," he said simply. "No matter what." His words were strong, but his fear was obvious. It was a fear that he was not ashamed of, for it was less of a phobia and more of a simple fact: the Rotting Man was to be feared.

Perhaps the Rotting Man had spoken, but he had not done so in a way that the human brain could understand. Somehow, though, Izaya understood. _You will_.

"No." he repeated. "I won't tell you." The face of the monster – if the front of its head could be called a face – twisted it to something that felt like a smile. It wasn't a kind smile. It was the kind of smile one would expect to see from an anime villain – a cold, demeaning smile that send uncomfortable chills down ones spine. In this case, it was the kind of smile that mocked and taunted and demeaned.

The Rotting Man's hand cupped Izaya's cheek in an almost affectionate manner. He squeezed his eyes shut and shuddered, but his body had frozen and refused his brain's orders to flee. The hand was cold – ice cold, as if he regularly refrigerated himself – and Izaya was all too aware that the rest of him was the same way. The hand remained where it was, but Izaya felt something else – something that wasn't a hand, or anything a human being would possess – creeping its way around his side. It was as though he was being embraced by Lord Voldemort's lovechild with Cthulhu, though that probably would have been a lot more comfortable. The tentacle (it wasn't really a tentacle, but that was the only word in any human language that could be used to describe it) elongated to wrap itself around his torso, sliding teasingly under his shirt.

"I won't tell you," he gasped, feeling his body's trembles begin to overwhelm him. "I won't–" and then he saw it. Images. Images of Shinra, bloody and broken, being tied to a chair, being hurt, being torn to pieces, being–

_I have him_ was the obvious message. The grip tightened ever so slightly.

"Don't hurt him." And it was that simple. Just like that, Izaya had lost. Just like that, the months he'd spent in unending agony were worthless, because the Rotting Man had found his weakness. The monster had Shinra, and it knew that Izaya would do anything to ensure his safety. "Please. Let him go."

_Where is it_?

He squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them again, silently apologizing to Shinra as he tried not to cry.

"The bookshelf. It's in the bookshelf." A ligament of whatever-the-hell stretched out to the piece of furniture, gently moving the books aside. The Rotting Man withdrew the jar containing Celty's head, and the tentacle around Izaya's waist moved up to caress his cheek before sliding towards his mouth. "Please. Please no."

It didn't listen.

-This-Is-A-Line-Break-

Namie returned from her phone call to find her employer quietly crying on the floor. The open window, moved books, and the torn state of Izaya's clothing told her everything she needed to know. Shinra had been in hiding for only two days, and Izaya had forgotten. Or, perhaps, the information had simply never registered. In any case, the damage had been done. Whatever it was that had taken Izaya in the first place had returned, had gotten what it was looking for, and left behind a mess.

After carrying Izaya's far too light form to the couch to sleep, Namie called Shinra and told him the news: Celty's head was gone.

-This-Is-A-Line-Break-

Kadota Kyōhei was not one to reminisce on the past. He was not one to forget it, by any means, but he didn't believe he gained anything by thinking about things that couldn't be changed. However, all these happenings were starting to seem more than a little coincidental to him, and the only thing he knew for certain was that Izaya was somehow involved.

And so, here he was, waiting by himself at Russia Sushi for a classmate he hadn't seen in years – a classmate that he'd once had a crush on.

Sharaku Mikage, when she arrived, looked very similar as she had nine years prior. Her hair was shorter, her breasts were bigger, and she wore decidedly less clothing, but she was still the same girl he'd occasionally hung out with back in high school. A small part of him wondered if she still harbored a crush on Izaya, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Hey." He said, feeling immensely stupid.

"Hey yourself." She replied. "Look, Kyōhei, I know this is about Izaya, so let's just cut to the chase, alright?"

"Right." She was very straightforward. He liked that about her. "Sharaku-san, I'd like to know why you dropped out of high school." Mikage stared at him, surprise evident on her face. Finally, she sighed.

"Should've figured that'd come up sooner or later," she remarked, leaning against the wall. "I can't tell you everything, Kyōhei, though I'm sure you knew that already." Kadota chuckled.

"Obviously. I mean, Izaya's involved, right?" he said. She laughed. It was a very nice sound.

"True enough, I suppose." She tilted her head back to look at the sky, before returning her gaze to his. "Alright then. I'll tell you." She raised a finger to cut off his grateful response. "If and only if you buy me lunch." He smiled.

"Sounds great."

**AN: So, this chapter was shorter than I would have liked. Sorry. Anyway, I feel I should apologize for how longer it took me to write this. I know excuses are like assholes (everybody's got one), but I actually have Asperger's Syndrome, which is similar to autism (but not the same, regardless of what the DSM would have you believe), and with that comes severe focus issues, which yes, do reflect in my grades at school. Anyway, though I would love to be able to fart out chapters at the speed of Kid Flash on caffeine, I unfortunately am not capable of doing so. Thus, while I have every intention of finishing this story as well as my others, it will take a while. I apologize for the inconvenience.**

**Moving right along, as you may have guessed, some pretty shitty things happened to Izaya during his period of captivity, and, while I will probably not go into too much detail, he will be severely affected. WARNING: If you are reading this because you want to see Izaya getting it on with Namie or Shizuo (or both, you kinky freaks), stop reading. I cannot write smut. It's not that I don't want to, and it's not that I haven't tried; it is simply that I am bad at it. I fear any attempt to produce such content would result in a bastard hybrid of **_**50 Shades of Grey**_** and the **_**Twilight**_** series (I have nothing against either series, by the way – I simply enjoy making fun of things).**


	4. The Grim Red Line

**AN: So, I have returned, and brought with me a brand new chapter! Yay! Also, I realized that I am oddly prone to beginning paragraphs with the names of characters. I don't have much to say today, so I'll keep it brief: feel free to ask any questions about this story, anonymous or no. I will answer all questions pertaining to this story or **_**Durarara**_** itself, so long as there are no spoilers involved (unless unavoidable). Enjoy! Sorry it took so long, by the way.**

Heiwajima Shizuo was not a man of many words. He was, some would say, a man of Incredible Hulk-like DNA. He was very strong, not too bright (though by no means an idiot), and, usually, very, very angry. At the moment, however, he was simply confused.

From the perspective of Heiwajima Shizuo, people fell into one of five categories: Annoying, Not Too Annoying, Extremely Annoying, People I Like, and Flea. The majority of people he knew fell into the 'Annoying' category. The majority of people he dealt with during his job as a bodyguard fell into the 'Extremely Annoying' category. Tom, Celty, Kasuka (and, by default, Ruri), Vorona, Akane, and his parents, Heiwajima Kichirō and Heiwajima Namiko, fell into the 'People I Like' category. Kadota, Erika, Walker, Saburo, Simon, Ryūgasaki (or something like that), Kida Masaomi (the one who'd been framed for shooting him), that one other kid (y'know, with the glasses… what was her name?), and the Orihara twins, Mairu and Kururi, fell into the 'Not Too Annoying' category (unless the last two were bugging him about his brother, in which case they were in the 'Annoying' category). Shinra was in the 'Extremely Annoying' category. Izaya fell into the 'Flea' category, not that he would ever let Izaya himself know that (or Erika, because he knew exactly went on in _her_ head). Shizuo usually tried to restrain himself from hitting things, but he viewed the people in the 'Extremely Annoying' category as acceptable targets.

Anyone who made it into the 'Flea' category (read: Izaya) was less of an acceptable target, and more of a necessary target. Yes, Heiwajima Shizuo was not a complicated person. However, Shizuo did not enjoy violence. He despised both violence itself, and the fact that he always ending up resorting to violence.

He would not hit a woman unless absolutely necessary (either because she was attacking him or because she was attacking someone he cared about). He would not hurt a child. There were no exceptions to that rule. And he would not hit a man unprovoked. It was extremely easy to provoke him, though, so that last rule was rather bendy. He would always hit Orihara Izaya.

Except for now. Except for when he saw the flea, barely conscious, struggling to pretend he was okay, furiously refusing to show weakness even when he wasn't even able to stand. It hurt. It hurt to know that there were people (or creatures, because who really knew) capable of doing things like this. Izaya was cruel, Izaya was evil, Izaya was an absolute scumbag, Izaya deserved to get the shit beaten out of him, but he did not deserve to be ruthlessly torn apart, utterly destroyed beyond recognition. And, despite being so horrifically broken, Izaya had not given up.

And Shizuo was jealous. It was ironic, he thought. He was aware that Izaya was jealous of him as well. Their hatred did not come from jealousy, nor did their jealousy come from hatred, but both helped to inflame the other. Izaya was jealous of Shizuo's many friends, even though the debt collector was a monster, while he himself only had Shinra. Shizuo was jealous of Izaya's self-control, of his ability to control every muscle and bone and thought he had, while Shizuo could only stand back and watch himself cause wanton destruction.

Somewhere along the line, the hatred and the jealousy and the insults blended together in a smoothie of mutual disgust, until both of them could see the three traits they had in common (aside from not hitting girls). First, neither of them felt like a good older brother, as Shizuo set a terrible example for Kasuka and Izaya had basically emotionally abused Kururi and Mairu (not that that had really affected them; they would have been messed up regardless). Second, they both had some measure of self-loathing, as Shizuo hated his inability to control his strength and Izaya hated his inability to control his mouth. Third, neither acknowledged themselves or the other as fully human. Shizuo believed he was a monster and Izaya was a flea, and Izaya believed Shizuo was a protozoan and he himself was – actually, who knew.

Shizuo was aware that Izaya wanted to be a god. He was also aware that that dream had most likely been crushed beneath the heel of whatever hell beast had torn the informant from his pedestal and thrown him to the ground.

But that was not what Heiwajima Shizuo was thinking.

He and Izaya had, since high school, been trapped within the whirling vortex of their hatred, the tango of their conflicting monstrosities. And it seemed nothing had changed at all. Both continued building their lives, wrecking the other's life, and at the same time their own. They spun around and around and around and around in a spiraling hurricane of self-destruction. All either of them could do was break things, and hope that someone else knew how to fix the things they had broken. In the end, they would destroy each other.

Except Shizuo would win. Izaya would have his small victories, but in the end, he was alone. He had no one. He had nothing but enemies. Shizuo would stand against him, and everyone else would side with Shizuo. Simon would try to calm things down, but in the end, he too would turn away. Mairu and Kururi loved their brother, but they loved Yūhei more, and Kasuka (and Ruri, for that matter) would undoubtedly side with Shizuo. Izaya's parents were in the States. Namie only cared for her brother. Aoba and Masaomi hated Izaya, and Saki, Anri, and Mikado cared about Masaomi too much to go against him. Celty was Shizuo's best friend. And then there was Shinra. That probably hurt Izaya the most, Shizuo thought. The very idea of being against Shinra was not something Izaya could handle. Shizuo was not a social genius, but he knew that, at some level, Izaya genuinely cared for the bespectacled man. And it was not mutual. Shinra would side with Celty. Shinra would _always_ side with Celty, and Celty would always side with Shizuo, and in the end no one would be there to care when Izaya was finally all alone.

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

There was no light at the end of the tunnel. This is not to say that there was no happy ending (nor is it to say that there is no oncoming train), but in this circumstance should be taken literally. There really was a tunnel, and there really wasn't a light. At the end of the tunnel was a room. The lights were out in the room, which would be why there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

The tunnel was the staircase leading up to Izaya's room, where the informant was currently tossing and turning in his sleep, as whatever had been preventing him from leaving his office had vanished. So, basically, the lights were out because Izaya was asleep, and not because he was afraid of being hit by a train.

…This metaphor did not finish where it started.

Anyway, Namie had pretty much moved in at this point (not that she hadn't practically been his mother for nearly a year even before all this had happened), so she was downstairs answering phone calls and being grateful that Izaya had a guest room. It had been about two days since Celty's head had been taken and Izaya had been re-traumatized, and Namie was fairly certain that he was less concerned about the assault and more concerned about the fact that Shinra was furious with him.

She sighed as the phone rang.

"Yagiri Namie speaking, how may I help you?"

"Yagiri-san." Shiki Haruya of the Awakusu-kai had a very calm tone, even though he was one of the few people who knew about Izaya's… condition.

"Shiki-san." She responded, pretending that speaking to him wasn't horribly nerve-wracking. Not that Shiki was a particularly bad person – he was actually a very fair person. It was more that he happened to be very powerful, and Namie was not in a good position to disagree with him should the situation arise. "What can I do for you today?"

"I was simply calling to check in on Orihara-san," Shiki replied. "I'd like to make sure he's on the road to recovery – we'd like our informant back as soon as possible."

"He's getting better," she said, honestly. Most of his wounds had indeed healed, and the only preventing him from making a complete recovery was the missing arm and the psychological trauma.

"That's good to hear," said Shiki. "If you need anything, let me know, alright?"

"You're really worried about him, aren't you?" the words slipped out before she could stop them, but before she could apologize, Shiki spoke.

"So it would seem." He said. "I'm a little surprised myself, to be honest, but I think it's because Orihara-san was hired by a former colleague of mine, Kine. I had a great deal of respect for Kine, which is the reason I put up with Orihara-san's crap all the time. I think it's mostly nostalgia."

"I see. I apologize for asking such a personal question."

"Hm. Have a good day, Yagiri-san."

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

Kadota Kyōhei had never been an extremely talkative person, but his friends were beginning to worry. Ever since his "date" two days ago, he'd been oddly silent, as if contemplating something. For him, the question pertaining to Izaya's attacker was less of "who" or "why", and more of "how". The identity or reason of the attacker was pointless to look into: the conflicting personalities of Ikebukuro were untied solely by the desire to see Izaya run over by a bus. But the only people who'd ever gotten close enough to Izaya to actually hurt him were Shizuo (who would never have gone _this_ far), Shinra (who wouldn't be helping Izaya if he'd been the one to hurt him), Celty (who was too nice to do anything like that), Namie (whose paycheck was signed by Izaya), Simon (who hated violence even more than Shizuo), and Mikage, who… well, he wasn't sure.

"Kadota-san?" Walker's voice cut through his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"Was your mind stolen?" Erika asked. "Or maybe you were–"

"I'm fine," Kadota responded. "Just thinking." The otaku glanced at one another, a silent message past between them.

"No, something's definitely on your mind," Saburo said. "Ever since your date with that girl–"

"Mikage," Kadota interrupted. "Her name is Sharaku Mikage. And it wasn't a date, just two friends going out to lunch." Erika and Walker gave him identical looks, clearly stating that they weren't buying it.

"What even happened?" Erika wondered. "We know you were talking about Izayan, but–" Walker covered her mouth, and Saburo looked guilty. Kadota sighed.

"You guys are impossible," he muttered. "Yeah, we mentioned Izaya. I don't wanna talk about it, alright?" The otaku and Saburo all looked concerned, but none of them pressed the subject. There was silence in the van for a while, until Erika spoke up again.

"You can tell us, you know," she said. "We'll keep your secret, Dotachin."

"I know."

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

Mairu shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not meeting her father's eyes. It was awkward to be in the same house with her parents. She and Kururi had essentially been raised by Izaya (which really explained a lot), though their grandparents had been there too. There was only so much that two old people could do for three young children, even if Izaya's story of their grandmother wrestling a bear held any truth to it. There was a reason Mairu knew her brother cared for her – if he hadn't, he'd have left when he'd had the chance. But he'd stayed, because they had needed him, and now he needed them.

She was alone in the house with her father because Kururi and their mother had gone shopping. If there was one thing the twins appreciated about their mother, it was her ability to cook. Orihara Kyōko made the best damn curry in the world.

"So." The man across from her finally decided to try to talk to her. "How's school been?" Mairu was usually a chatterbox, but she really wasn't sure how to respond. Well, honesty was the best policy…

"I threatened a girl with tacks," she said. Shiro blinked at her. Mairu couldn't help but feel awkward when she finally met her father's eyes. Shiro looked quite a bit like her. Or, rather, she looked like him. She and Kururi had inherited their father's shaggy brown hair and warm chocolate eyes, whereas their brother had taken after their mother's silky black hair and mischievous red eyes.

"I see," Shiro responded. "Ah… did you use tacks to threaten a girl, or did the girl you threatened have tacks?"

"I used them to threaten her," Mairu clarified. Shiro did not tell her that she shouldn't have done that. Mairu liked that about her father. He wasn't very talkative (though nowhere near as quiet as Kururi), and he didn't scold them. He knew that she knew that using tacks to threaten people wasn't socially acceptable, and he also knew that she had been raised by her slightly insane brother.

"Did your brother tell you to do that?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Iza-nii doesn't talk to us much," she told him, not even bothering to mask her surprise. Izaya was usually not talked about. It was not that they didn't care about him, or even that he didn't care about them. It was simply awkward for all of them. Mairu knew for a fact that Izaya avoided talking about his family as much as they avoided talking about him.

"I see." He hesitated. "Is he alright? We couldn't get in when we tried to visit, so…" Mairu nodded.

"Yeah, but he's all moody now 'cause Shinra's mad at him," she said. "And you can probably get in now."

"I don't… dislike magic." Shiro told her suddenly. She looked at him.

"Where'd that come from?"

"I want you to know… I don't disapprove of the supernatural. I don't mind if you have friends that are… odd." He hesitated again. Mairu was beginning to wonder if her father was capable of getting through a single sentence without pausing. "I want you to be happy. All three of you… I want you to be happy. But I also want you to be safe. I don't just mean that Heiwajima kid, or that headless woman. I just…" he looked so helpless that Mairu could barely resist the urge to hug him. "Magic is _dangerous_, Mairu." She nodded.

"I know." She tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling. "So you think it was magic that was keeping us from Iza-nii?" Her father's lip twitched, which she was pretty sure was his version of a snort.

"I'm not an idiot," Shiro said simply. "I am, however, your father. I want you to know that I – that I _care_ about you, Mairu. I love you, and Kururi, and even your crazy brother. But you and Kururi – you're my little girls, and if anything were to happen to you, I think… I don't think I could handle that."

Later, Mairu would regret opening her mouth, but the words simply flew out before she could stop them.

"Dad, I think Iza-nii was raped." She blurted. Her father winced.

"Yes, ah, that was what I had assumed." He said. "I didn't know what to do… I just – that's my _son_. I know I'm not the best father, but… seeing my boy like that… what am I supposed to think, Mairu? I wanted to hug him and tell him that everything would be okay, but I don't have the right to do that. I was never there for him in the past, and I can't be there for him now. I didn't change his diapers, I didn't watch him learn to walk, I didn't teach him to read… he's my son, and I barely even know him at all. Sometimes, I…" he trailed off. "I just don't know what to do."

"Me neither," she told him. She wanted to say something to cheer him up, but for once words escaped her. And so father and daughter sat there in silence, waiting for his wife and her sister to return home, and wondering just where everything had gone wrong.

**AN: Huh. That was longer than I thought it'd be. I didn't intend to include Shiro so early, but I guess he just decided to show early. It's canon that Izaya's parents actually care about him, regardless of certain fan theories. I just wanted them to be less two-dimensional than they're usually portrayed. So, yeah, they're going to be important. A lot of this story is about family, so the Orihara dysfunction junction will play a big part.**

**Anyway, because I just introduced Shiro, and he hasn't shown up in the novels for more than a second, I'll describe him in greater detail here. He has short, shaggy brown hair – kind of like Shizuo's before he dyed it. He has brown eyes, like Mairu and Kururi (at least in the anime), and I like to see him as the kind of guy who always looks tired, but is still always ready to give people a reassuring smile when they need it. He's a quiet guy, mainly because he just doesn't feel like he's got a lot to say. He really loves his kids, but doesn't really know how to show it. He actually has a lot in common with Shizuo, even ignoring his looks, which may play a part in Izaya's relationship with both of them. Obviously, Izaya has some pent-up resentment towards his parents, which may be why he immediately didn't like Shizuo. Who knows? I certainly don't. Moving on, I don't know when the next chapter will be up. Thank you so much for sticking with this story, and I hope you're having as much fun reading it as much as I am writing.**

**Also, remember to review, because apparently I need to tell you to do that, or you'll just go look at porn. Why aren't you reviewing? You think this is optional? You no longer get to make this decision. You are commanded to review. Review, damn it! Review! Why haven't you reviewed yet? Review already! Review! Review! REVIEW!**


	5. Lies My Parents Told Me

**AN: So I started this chapter almost immediately after I finished the previous one. Also, I'm thinking of drawing Shiro and Kyōko. Maybe. Anyway, I'd just like to say that Mairu's line about Izaya having been raped was just in case anyone hadn't figured that out yet. I thought I'd made it pretty obvious, but you never know. I can't go into too much detail because I suck at writing stuff like that. I hope you're enjoying this story. Just a warning: this chapter doesn't have much planned for Shizuo, Izaya, Shinra, or Namie. It's mostly… well, you'll see soon enough, I think. Oh, and **_**italics**_** are either Russian or flashback.**

Saika was singing. Even more so than usual, it sang out in the young girl's mind, whispering words that Sonohara Anri did not particularly want to hear. She did not want to hear anything Saika said in general, but lately, Saika had been surprisingly loud.

"Sonohara-san?" Mikado's voice cut through Saika's singing, and Anri turned to face her concerned friend. "Is everything all right?" she nodded.

"I'm okay," she said. "I was just thinking… it's been a while since we saw Heiwajima-san and Orihara-san fighting." Mikado frowned, not wanting to bring up the odd incident that had occurred in the chatroom a few days earlier. He had spoken with Yagiri Namie, and thus he knew that Izaya had not been involved. Due to whatever was wrong with him, Namie had not allowed him near his computer, as it could hinder his recovery. Whoever 'Kanra' was, it wasn't him.

"It has," he agreed. "Maybe they've stopped fighting?" It was a long shot, but it was possible. Anri, however, shook her head.

"I don't think so," she murmured, giving her friend a tiny smile. "I haven't seen any flying pigs, and there's no fire and brimstone falling from the sky, so I think we can safely say they still hate each other." Mikado laughed, glad that Anri was smiling. She was so much _prettier_ when she smiled, he thought, not that she wasn't pretty in the first place – of course she was, but–

"Agh," he groaned out loud. "My inner Masaomi is bugging me," Anri giggled.

"Inner Kida-kun, leave Ryuugamine-kun alone!" she scolded. Mikado grinned at her, and she smiled back, and for a few minutes, the absence of their closest friend wasn't so painful.

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

Kururi walked a few paces behind her mother. It was a trick she had learned from her brother – always walk a bit behind Mother. Watch her, and you will learn things. It was from this woman that Izaya had learned how to make people realize that he was _there_. Orihara Kyōko was a woman that people paid attention to. When she spoke, people listened. Where she walked, heads turned to follow.

Kururi had always thought that her mother was the single most beautiful woman on the face of the planet. Kyōko had long, silky black hair. She didn't bother holding it back; she simply let it flow down her back in glossy raven waves. She had the same sharp red eyes as her son, but hers held a regal glint, rather than a malicious one. Like her son, she was thin, but not bony. She preferred to dress in black or dark red. Her cheekbones were high up on her face, drawing attention to the fact that Orihara Kyōko did not believe in using makeup – which was good, as Kururi thought she wouldn't be quite as beautiful if she did. She was also tall.

However, none of these things are what made Orihara Kyōko so noticeable. It wasn't her looks, or her height, or even the way she held herself. Kyōko had taught her children what she considered to be her greatest secret: Allure. It wasn't magic, though it might as well have been. It was simply a way of making people notice you, or, if you preferred, making sure they didn't. There was a reason that Izaya, in his red and black ensemble, had been able to blend in with the blue-and-white-decked students in his high school. There was a reason that Mairu's black sailor fuku was never noticed by her peers unless she wanted them to be. There was a reason that none of the teachers ever seemed to notice Kururi's less-than-appropriate attire.

And the reason was Allure. It was interesting, Kururi thought, that her mother prized Allure over all her other talents. In fact, all three siblings were very aware that their mother was not normal. It had all started when Izaya's cat, Kanra, disappeared one winter day, and Izaya found her cold body the next morning.

_He was eleven years old and absolutely devastated. He had loved his little kitty, considered her to be his best friend. And now she was cold, unmoving, and dead. Izaya knew about death. He knew what happened when a living creature faded from the world, because he was too smart _not_ to know. And as he had wailed, his father had put a hand on his shoulder and hushed him, and he watched as his mother put the kitty into the oven, and, five minutes later, pulled her out again. Kanra shook the water out of her fur, and wandered off to catch a mouse. It had been magic, Izaya knew, and he told the twins so as well. Later, they had discovered how heat could revive a near-dead animal, but it didn't stop being magic just because you figured out how it was done…_

Kururi had been one at the time, as had her sister, so neither of them really remembered the incident, but their brother made sure they never forgot. It wasn't the only thing their mother could do. Kururi had seen the way her mother's eyes had flashed when a man had sent a perverted grin towards Mairu. Seconds later, the man tripped over a crack in the street and broke his nose on the pavement. If it hadn't been for the slightly vindictive smile on her mother's face, Kururi would have never thought it anything more than a coincidence.

She and her siblings had never asked their parents what it was about Orihara Kyōko that made her different from others. Mairu had claimed that it was their mother's decision to tell them. Izaya had decided that he just didn't really want to know. Kururi simply hadn't cared – after all, Mother was Mother. When Izaya had left home to go to college, Kyōko had made him a lunch, just as she had done when he was a small child, before business trips took over her life. He had looked extremely awkward, and had pointed out that she didn't really need to. Her response, if Kururi remembered correctly, had been:

_"You're my son. I haven't been the greatest mother, but I'm there for you if you need me."_ She had embraced him, then, and Kururi could tell from the look on her brother's face that he didn't receive hugs very often. She and Mairu had hugged him as well, just because. It was, unbeknownst to them, the last time they would do so for many years.

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

Vorona was not the kind of person to regret things. The way she saw it, if she bothered to regret things, then she'd end up stuck in the past, mourning those who'd died by her hand. So, there were just facts, fiction, and possibilities. She enjoyed killing things. Fact. She enjoyed violence. Fact. She missed her father. Fiction. She wanted to fight Heiwajima Shizuo. Fact. She wanted to defeat and kill Heiwajima Shizuo. Fact. She did not like Orihara Izaya. Fact. She disliked seeing Heiwajima Shizuo upset. Fact. Heiwajima Shizuo was upset because he had terminated Orihara Izaya. Fiction. She understood what those two otaku were talking about when they mentioned 'yaoi' and 'yuri'. Fiction. Heiwajima Shizuo no longer wanted Orihara Izaya dead. Fiction. Heiwajima Shizuo was extremely attractive. Fact. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

…Probability.

She wasn't too sure when the desire to kill Shizuo-senpai had evolved into something else. She was positive that she wanted to fight him, but at the same time, she could not fathom why her heart beat faster when she was around him.

"_Vorona_." She blinked, and looked up. Her old teacher was staring at her, an odd look on his face. "_Are you alright_?"

"_My condition is satisfactory_." She responded. Samiya narrowed his eyes.

"_It is unlike you to be so unfocused_," he commented. She shrugged.

"_There are… a couple things on my mind_," she confessed. Samiya's lips twitched into a slight grin.

"_Anything to do with _Shi-zu-o?" he asked. Normally, she would have shaken her head and dismissed his question, but for some reason, she felt warmth in her cheeks. Samiya laughed, and Vorona was reminded again of how much Samiya had changed from her strong, cold teacher to a sushi chef. She should really start calling him 'Simon', like everyone else, but it was difficult to remember.

"_Ridiculous_." She stated. "Have a nice day," she changed to English as she walked off, knowing that Samiya wouldn't try to call after her about something so personal. He smiled as she walked away.

As she strolled through the streets of Ikebukuro, she was unable to stop her mind from returning to the topic of Shizuo and where he might be. And, before she could stop it, a thought crossed her mind: what if Shizuo discovered the truth? She wanted to think he wouldn't instantly hate her for deceiving him, but she also knew that he would not want a friendship based on a lie.

"Ow!" Vorona blinked, looking down to see a small girl holding a teddy bear and rubbing her head. "That hurt!"

"Apologies," the Russian woman replied, offering her hand to the child.

"Thanks, miss!" the girl chirped, allowing herself to be pulled up. "Wow, you're strong!" Vorona blinked again – perhaps she had pulled too hard?

"Ah…" she wasn't sure what to say, but the child just grinned at her until she felt compelled to say something. "Are you alone?" the kid hesitated, but nodded.

"I can't find my mommy," she admitted. "My name's Kanra! Who're you?"

"I am Vorona," Vorona responded. "Where is the location of the last place you recall your mother being?" Kanra stared at her.

"Bo… ro… na…" she murmured. "That's hard to say. Mommy was in the grocery store, but I saw a kitty, so I wanted to play with it!" the girl looked down, blushing. "…And now I'm lost." A few months ago, Vorona would have wished the girl good luck and left. Now, however… Shizuo-senpai was rubbing off on her.

"Do you require assistance?"

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

Namie glowered at her boss, pushing the plate closer to him.

"This behavior is utterly deplorable," she snapped. "You're pathetic." Izaya glowered at the plate, as if hoping it would explode if he glared at it hard enough.

"Not hungry." He grunted. The woman rolled her eyes, but she was glad that he was talking again, which was surprising, as she usually wanted him to shut the hell up. Depressed Izaya, Namie thought, was a lot worse that Troll Izaya. Troll Izaya, she knew how to handle – ignore him. Don't feed the trolls. Depressed Izaya was a different story. She didn't know how to handle him, and she didn't want to have to handle him.

"Eat anyway," she said. "Kishitani-sensei says you're well enough to eat solid foods now. If you regurgitate it, we'll try smoothies." Izaya's scowl deepened. He really didn't like sweets. Namie sighed. "Look," she began, hoping that negotiation would be of some assistance. "The sooner you can eat the rice, and keep it down, the sooner you can eat ōtoro again." This was, apparently, the wrong thing to say, as Izaya turned green and vomited. Luckily, Namie had placed a bucket by his bedside, so most of the bile landed in that. Namie made a mental note to not bring up ōtoro anymore. Izaya rolled over, and continued stubbornly refusing to eat.

"Need some help?" the secretary turned, meeting gentle eyes with her own cold ones. Mikajima Saki stepped into the room. "I got your call."

"So I see," Namie replied. She wasn't too thrilled to see the girl, however. For some reason, Namie found her off-putting. Perhaps it was simply the fact that she'd been raised by Izaya (and thus _had_ to be at least a _little_ messed up in the head), or maybe it was simply the knowledge that Saki, despite her innocent face and genial personality, was still Izaya's apprentice – she had the same sources, the same sneaky intelligence, the same slightly mischievous streak (though Saki was an infinitely better person), and the same cunning. Speaking to Saki made Namie feel as though she was speaking to a snake. Namie had seen people refer to Izaya as a snake, but she thought that he was more like a cat – a black panther, carefully stalking his prey, but a cat nonetheless.

But if Izaya was a panther, then Saki was a mamushi. Where Izaya lorded himself over the world, Saki calmly slithered on the ground, watching and waiting for her prey. Physically, she wasn't half as dangerous as Izaya, but Namie knew very well that the girl was a force to be reckoned with. In all honesty, Namie was glad that Saki was such a nice girl. She would rather have the pit viper facing away from her when it struck.

Nevertheless, Saki knew Izaya better than Namie did, so the elder stepped aside, allowing the younger to kneel by the wounded man's bedside.

"Quite a mess you've gotten yourself into this time, Izaya-san," Saki said cheerfully. Izaya opened one eye to look at her, and mumbled something that Namie didn't catch. "If you don't eat the rice, I'll be forced to tell everyone what happened in middle school." Izaya rolled his open eye, and then closed it.

"You don't know what happened," he muttered. "You weren't even there,"

"True," Saki agreed, shrugging. "But Kishitani-sensei was, so…"

"I hate you." He sat up, grabbed the bowl of rice, and slowly began to eat, glowering. Saki just laughed. Suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable, Namie left the room. Whatever was going on, it didn't involve her. Kida was sitting on the couch opposite of the one Izaya had been on. He looked up when she entered, only to look back down at the floor when he realized she wasn't Saki.

Neither of them said a word until Saki came back down the stairs with the now-empty rice bowl in her hand.

**AN: Initially, I was going to have Kanra's first appearance be in chapter three, but then I decided to take her out of the story, and then I put her back in the story because drama. She's not going to have a huge role, though. I don't consider her an OC, seeing as all of Izaya's online names were based on real people, so she has to exist, but we still know nothing about her, so you can see her as an OC if you want. I described Kyōko's physical appearance already, and you'll learn more about her personality later, so I'll describe Kanra for now:**

**Kanra is about nine years old, has dark brown eyes, and long black hair. She wears her hair in pigtails, similar to the way Rio wears it, but Kanra's hair is slightly messier. She usually dresses in a pink t-shirt and paint-stained overalls. She's got a bit of a sweet tooth, but her favorite foods are actually strawberries and tekka maki. Her favorite color is red, her favorite animals are dinosaurs, and her favorite TV show is actually the American show **_**Invader Zim**_**. She doesn't speak English, so she doesn't know what the characters are saying, but she thinks it's funny anyway. Oh, and the teddy bear's name is Gigi.**


	6. Puer in Somnio

**AN: Since I wrote down the really vague plot (a word I use very loosely) in my math book, and since my math teacher has my math book, I have no really vague plot right now. Which is fine, because I'll have it back by Monday, and this chapter probably won't be up until a couple weeks from when I'm writing this. I should probably warn you, though: the final pairings have not been decided, and even if they had been, I'd still be teasing other pairings to mess with you guys. One last thing: shit is about to go down.**

Two weeks since Izaya had awoken, eight days since Celty's head had been stolen, seven days since Shinra had stopped speaking to Izaya, four days since Saki had persuaded (read: blackmailed) Izaya to eat, and one minute until Namie _completely lost her damn mind_.

"I cannot put up with this anymore!" she stood up, stalking over to her boss who was lying listlessly on the couch. Saki and Masaomi, who had been quietly talking on the other couch, turned to watch. She lifted Izaya by his shirt, and heard Kida's sharp intake of breath as he realized that Izaya was slightly lacking in the left arm department. How it had taken him so long to realize this, Namie didn't know, but she was glad that he didn't say anything. "Snap out of it!" she said firmly, trying to ignore how much weight Izaya had lost. He looked at her blankly. "You're, what, twenty-four? Stop acting like a child!"

"…Shinra's mad at me," Izaya mumbled. Namie rolled her eyes.

"Oh boo hoo," she sneered. "I'm mad at you all the time, but you're not falling to pieces over that, are you?" His head fell back and he stared at the ceiling.

"You aren't Shinra," he told her.

"And the genius strikes again! How on earth did you figure out that I'm not a bespectacled _male_ doctor who spends twenty-three hours a day obsessing over a headless motorcyclist who can only be identified as female if you're close enough to grab her damn tits!" Kida and Saki both edged away from the secretary. Namie did not approve of vulgar language, and she very rarely yelled at anyone. "You are _goddamn informant_! Find the damn head, get it back, and stop acting like a schoolgirl who got rejected by her crush!"

"Technically, he did," Saki chirped. The glares she got from both Izaya and Namie got her to back down, but her eyes continued to sparkle mischievously.

"Uh, maybe we should go," Masaomi said nervously. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to act in a situation like this, so leaving was the only thing he could think of to do. Izaya sighed.

"Go to Russia Sushi or something," he mumbled. "Tell Simon to put it on my tab," Masaomi blinked at him.

"Since when do you have a tab?" he asked, knowing that the informant usually had enough money on him to buy a small house (no one sane would attempt to mug him, and he could defend himself well enough from any idiot dumb enough to try). The answer became offensively obvious right as the words came out, but Izaya responded anyway.

"Since I stopped having functional legs," he growled, glowering at the aforementioned weakened limbs. Kida guessed that the physical therapy hadn't been going too well.

"Do you want us to bring anything back for you two?" asked Saki.

"I'd like to have some onigiri around," Namie responded. "For days when I'm too busy to leave. Bring a couple plain ones for Izaya too, in case his stomach decides he can handle it." Izaya grumbled something that both Namie and Kida found unintelligible, but Saki, as always, seemed to understand.

"Feel better soon, Izaya-san," she said simply. He didn't meet her eyes.

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

"He's not going to get better," Kida said quietly, squeezing his girlfriend's hand. "Not anytime soon, at least. You know that, right?" Saki nodded, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder at the building fading into the skyline.

"I know," she responded. "But he might improve faster with encouragement."

"Whoever did that to him is a sick, twisted fucker." Kida announced. He despised his employer, something he made clear to everyone, but he did not think that anyone deserved… _that_. Saki leaned her head against his shoulder as they crossed into Ikebukuro. Neither of them said another word until they reached Russia Sushi.

"Ah, Kida! Long time no see!" Simon's half-terrifying, half-friendly grin was shot their way, and they both grinned back.

"Kida-kun?" a tentative voice came from behind him, and Kida took a deep breath, and then turned around to meet the confrontation he'd known was inevitable. He grinned.

"Hey, Anri. Mikado." He swallowed the lump in his throat, and felt Saki's hand squeeze his in an effort to comfort him. God, he loved her.

"Masaomi… is that really you, Masaomi?" Mikado looked like he was about to cry tears of happiness. Kida shook his head in mock disappointment.

"Well, Mikado… I could be: 1. Kida Masaomi! 2. Kida Masaomi! 3. Kida Masaomi!" Masaomi felt something tighten in his chest as his two friends flung themselves upon him. He lost hold of Saki's hand as he fell on his butt. "Yeah, yeah, I missed you guys too."

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

Sometimes, Shinra wondered if he'd made a mistake. It didn't happen often, but every now and then the thought that maybe this was entirely his fault would cross his mind. In fairness, he _was_ responsible for Izaya going off the deep end, so to speak, and he _had_ (albeit inadvertently) started the infamous rivalry that had terrorized the city for the past ten or so years, and – well, it was pointless to dwell on the past, but a lot of things that had happened in Ikebukuro could definitely be blamed on him.

And now, he was considering shutting off his phone because he kept getting angry texts from four reasonably angry girls. Mairu and Kururi wanted him to apologize to their brother, Saki wanted him to get his head out of his ass, and Namie wanted her damn paycheck. His phone buzzed again.

_Damn it, Kishitani, I'm afraid he's about to start crying! If you don't get over here this instant, then so help me God I will– *Message censored*_ Shinra sighed. He liked apathetic Namie a lot more than he liked angry Namie.

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

The men had come out of nowhere. Heiwajima Kasuka, better known as Hanejima Yūhei, and his girlfriend, singer/actress/make-up artist/retired serial killer Hijiribe Ruri, were running for their lives. The men chasing them did not have guns, but they were also most likely not human. Absently, he wondered what Carmilla Saizou would do. Well, Carmilla Saizou was a vampire ninja, so he would probably do something that Kasuka was physically incapable of. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his hand, and Ruri pulled him into a dark alley.

"I'm so sorry, Yūhei-san," she gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"What for?" she looked up. His head was tilted to the side. The expression on his face hadn't changed, but she got the feeling he was genuinely puzzled.

"For dragging you into this," she responded, shame gnawing at her gut.

"In that case, don't be." her boyfriend replied. "Even if we're being chased… I enjoy being with Ruri-san." Ruri stared at him, her cheeks dusted red, but before she could come up with a response, the yelling – in a language that neither of them knew or recognized – started up again. Even without the understanding of the words, the meaning was clear: we found them.

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

The hand holding Vorona's suddenly clenched, and she glanced down at her small companion. The little girl's face had lit up like a beacon, which meant that the child's mother had been spotted.

"Have you located your maternal unit?" Vorona asked. The kid stared at her, so she tried to rephrase her words. "Have you seen your mother?" Kanra beamed.

"Yup!" she chirped. And before Vorona could pull away, go back to her job, and stop thinking if Shizuo's violence would be equally beautiful in b – _not going there_, the girl had grabbed her hand and was tugging her towards a very worried looking woman. "Mama!" the child called. "Mama!" The woman turned, and Vorona realized that the woman looked far too young to have a ten-year-old daughter.

"Kanra!" the woman cried. "Oh thank god, I was so worried!" There was something wrong, but Vorona couldn't seem to figure it out. The woman thanked her, and grabbed her daughter's hand. Deciding that it didn't really matter, Vorona turned and walked off, completely forgetting about the strange encounter. The woman looked down at the girl and smiled.

"Now then," she said cheerfully. "Where did you say your mother was?"

-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-

It happened so quickly, Namie wasn't even sure it had happened at all. She had been sitting in her boss's swivel chair (because god forbid Izaya own a chair that _didn't_ swivel), responding to her boss's emails, and watching her boss sleep on the couch out of the corner of her eye, and then she had realized that something stank. She wrinkled her nose.

_What's that stench_? She wondered to herself. The smell was easily the nastiest thing ever to grace her nasal cavity, and she had to wonder if maybe a skunk had taken a shit in a tar pit. She was about to dismiss it as a particularly dead piece of road kill (which would mean she'd have to call the city to get them to clean it up), when Izaya sat bolt upright, eyes wide and terrified. Before she could ask what was wrong, everything went to hell.

The Rotting Man oozed through the doorway, odd little shadowy creatures following behind it, and Namie felt as if her brain was having a stroke. She knew that she was looking at _something_, but she somehow couldn't figure out what that something was. It appeared to be some sort of humanoid figure, but nothing about it was remotely human. Izaya scrambled backwards, clearly on the verge of hyperventilating. Or, rather, he tried to scramble away, but was impeded by the fact that he only had one properly functioning limb.

"Who the hell are you?" Namie demanded, stepping around her desk and closer to her boss. "What the hell do you want?" The creature did not respond, but Namie got the feeling that it was laughing at her. She felt a hand on her sweater.

"Run," Izaya croaked, face pale. "Please– Namie-san, please get out of here."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded, turning to him. "You sign my paycheck! I'm not just going to–" she stopped, then, because her stomach felt a little odd. It wasn't that time of the month yet, and she'd just eaten, so she couldn't fathom why her stomach was hurting. She looked down, her hand awkwardly wrapping around the strange spike protruding from her abdomen. It was covered in blood. She looked up, meeting Izaya's shocked and horrified gaze as what had happened finally resonated with her. She coughed, and a bit of blood fell from her lips. The Rotting Man yanked the sharp whatever-it-was out of her stomach, and Namie dropped like a rock.

"N-Namie…" the informant choked out, staring at her still form and the blood slowly pooling beneath her. His good arm reached for her, but the Rotting Man was reaching for him.

"Get the hell away from them, you fucker!" Shizuo roared. He exploded into the room, marking the first time Izaya had actually been glad to see him. The Rotting Man didn't even look at him. It lifted Izaya into the air by his throat, while the shadowy creatures swarmed in between them and Shizuo.

"I…" Namie struggled to pick herself up, her long dark hair falling in front of her face. The Rotting Man didn't spare her a glance, and suddenly her body was flying into the bookshelf that had once contained Celty's head. As she slid to the floor, giving up the struggle for consciousness, she felt strong arms wrap around her, and, even with such an awful wound, she thought she might feel… safe.

**AN: The plot chickens! Or thickens, whatever. So… that happened. Yeah, I don't have too much to say here, but I'll get started on chapter seven soon.**


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